wellcome | 2.0 Test Drive Meme

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2.0 Test Drive Meme

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Welcome to Well! Characters arrive the same way every month. Your character arrives with only a handful of memories, clad in old west style clothes of your choosing, with no items from home. This month, there is a strong possibility that those old west style clothes include a pair of jorts or daisy dukes.

Anyone is free to play on the TDM, but you need an invite to apply. Feel free to use these prompts, and interact with the arrival or locations. NPCs are around, but only say a certain set of phrases. TDMs can be considered game canon.

This TDM takes place from the first week of May onward, and can happen concurrently with other events during May and June. This will be the only TDM for April, May, and June.

Applications are open April 26th until May 1st, and May 27th until June 1st. Invites are available for friends of current players.

All-Night Diner

Content warnings: feelings of euphoria and mild intoxication, exhaustion

There’s banner over the diner's doorway reading Welcome!, with colorful flags drooping in the heat. Inside, the waiter greets you with a wide smile and an announcement:

“Welcome to the Stardust Diner! Pie’s on the house today. Have a seat.”

During the day, the diner is just that: a diner. You can get anything on the very extensive menu, including prickly pear lemonade. The pie is free, and everything else is put on the tab for your room that will never come due, probably. It seems like a shame to eat that pie all alone! Accepting a piece of pie makes you feel like you should share this moment with someone. Luckily all the booths are plush and open, and it’s easy to plop down with a stranger to share this special moment.

At night, the mood shifts. The diner’s neon sign is a beacon against the thick darkness, beckoning you in with blinking lights and a line of text reading FORGET YOUR WORRIES. Inside, country-swing music rolls in time with throbbing red lights. The tables have been pushed aside to make room for a makeshift sticky dance floor, and the atmosphere is intoxicating.

It’s as easy as anything to be swept along with the vibes, the dancing, the intensity of it all. When you start dancing, you really do forget your worries. You forget that you don’t know how you got here and that you don’t may not even know the person beside you; you forget that you’re supposed to be anywhere else except here. Everything feels briefly perfect and beautiful, meant to be, no matter what else is happening to you.

When you stumble outside, it will be dawn, no matter how long you think you’ve been there, and you’ll be exhausted enough to simply curl up right there in the sand and fall asleep. Hope you made a friend kind enough to drag you home, or that someone wakes you up!

tl;dr:

The diner is open and the pie is free.
If you get a slice of pie, you feel compelled to share it with someone.
At night, the diner transforms into essentially a nightclub. The vibes are intoxicating and you can forget all your worries and dance the night away.
You can only leave at dawn, and your body will be exhausted. Better get help getting back to your room!

Something’s Coming

Content warnings: blood, blood-sucking, monsters

A few hours after dusk, strange creatures begin to scurry from shadow to shadow, chasing after anything that moves: chupacabras. Large ones. They’re big creatures, the size of large dogs with spikes down their spines and tails, dark and hairless with fearsome teeth. They are everywhere, and they are hungry.

They are indiscriminate in who they try to bite: the biggest among you is just as at risk as the smallest, but the bigger you are, the more of them might come for the fight. No matter where you are, there’s a risk: they seem adept at making their way into buildings. You might find one looming over your bed, resting on your chest, getting ready to bite; one might slip into the diner while you’re dancing and latch on when you’ve forgotten to be concerned.

If a chupacabra manages to bite you, it will suck your blood, and it won’t stop until you’re completely drained unless you do something about it. Having your blood sucked by one is not a pleasant experience, it’s excruciatingly painful and the creatures will do their best to keep you prone while eating their fill. The more they drink, the more exhausted you’ll get, until it’s very difficult to fight them off.

They can be killed or scared off, but the further they are into a fight or into their meal, the harder they are to get rid of. If a chupacabra has latched on to you, you’ll need help escaping!

tl;dr:

Chupacabras strike the town at dusk.
They want to suck your blood, and are indiscriminate in who they attack. They will try and drain you completely.
They can be fought or scared off. It's easier to get rid of them if you have a pal.

The Walls Have Eyes

Content warnings: eyes, trypophobia

There are eyes everywhere. They peer out of cracks in walls, the floor, the grout in your shower, an open cut in your skin. There are even eyes in the craters on the moon, staring down at you unblinking.

These eyes seem familiar, even if you don’t remember them. You feel like you do. You feel a heavy weight settle over you when you look at them, guilt curdling in the pit of your gut.

The eyes belong to someone, or someones, who you’ve hurt or let down. They belong to your greatest mistake, to someone who you left behind, to someone who you regret. The same eyes over and over again, or the eyes of many who you’ve hurt, watching you, judging you, pleading for you to save them or apologize or make up for the mistakes you may not even remember making. You just know that you made them. They eyes don't lie.

The more you ignore these eyes, the more they seem to encroach on you: appearing in the walls, following you around corners, in the creases of your knuckles, the fold of your sheets. They replace the eyes of the people around you, the same eyes staring at you from everywhere you look.

Your skin itches with the constant feeling of being watched. Your head feels tight, and your own eyes feel too full, like there’s too much of you inside your skin. You’d do anything to get away from this feeling.

Soon enough, the mounting pressure explodes: you have to confront them and your guilt and your mistakes, and beg for the forgiveness they’re asking of you. Even if you don’t remember what those mistakes were, or why you should feel guilty, you have to tell someone. If you don't, the feeling will only mount, until all you can see are eyes. Eyes, just eyes.

tl;dr:

The eyes of someone(s) who embodies your regret appear in the cracks of the world around you.
The more you ignore the eyes, the more of them appear, and the more you feel an intense, heavy sense of guilt.
The guilt you feel can be based on things you remember, or things you don't. If it's based on things you don't know, your head will also hurt.
The eyes will ease if you admit your guilt, to the best of your ability. Tell someone your guilt, and the eyes will recede.
If you don't, your whole world will become eyes.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Well, the guy does have a knife. If he thinks he can handle it, Jaune's not opposed to some teamwork. ]

If you -

[ Another chupacabra leaps. Jaune brings his 'shield' up to turn its path, sending it careening off to the side Yuri isn't occupying, and follows through with a heavy downward blow on the creature's back. It yelp-snarls and skitters away, joining its fellows to regroup. ]

- hit hard enough -

[ He spins into his own momentum and readies for another attack, eyes gleaming with set, confident readiness. ]

- it seems to do the trick.

So. What's the plan? You want to get out of here, or you want to take these things down?

And leave these to someone else? Nah, man. [ A grin crosses his face, and he takes the opportunity the next time Jaune hits one of them to step in and kick it in the face, before bringing the knife down on one of its leg joints. It screams, and Yuri shoves it back with a foot, bringing the knife up again. It's still alive, but severely injured, limping back with a growl ]

I think we've got this. If you guys want some more.

[ He tosses the knife and catches it again, feeling the exhilaration of the fight coursing through him. ]

[ And the guy knows how to use the knife. Better and better.

(Yuri may be equipped to notice what Jaune does not: how smoothly Jaune cooperates with Yuri's lunge, clearing a path for him readily while taking up a position to cover his back.) ]

That's the spirit.

[ Jaune smiles tightly over the edge of his already cracking 'shield', never taking his eyes from their opponents. ]

I'll open them up, you take them down. We start at the left and work in.

Just say when.

Hell yeah, man. These things won't know what hit 'em.

[ His grin grows, glad that this guy is down. Well, it makes sense, since he came in so hot with that tray. A tray and a steak knife, the weapons of champions.

The creatures are pacing, even if the injured one looks like it doesn't want to be here anymore. Maybe it doesn't. That'll make this easier.

The other one crouches, ready to pounce, and Yuri watches it until it's ready and nearly leaping at him, when he yells: ]

When!

[ Jaune launches himself like a wrecking ball into the chupacabras. Without the need to follow through his blows, leaving that to Yuri, he's free to focus on battering them down into submission instead of balancing it with pushing them back.

The serving tray breaks completely on the next hit. Jaune muscles through it with a shoulder check to one of the beasts, and from that point on his grip switches to a two handed hold of the plank. He wields it with more grace than such an unwieldy weapon deserves, and if Yuri can keep up - and at this point, Jaune assumes he can - he thinks they can have this taken care of in two minutes or less. ]

[ This is fun, is the thing. Yuri follows after Jaune with a wide grin, wielding the knife like he was made for it. He's more comfortable with a sword, but a knife isn't completely foreign to him. It's sharp, it's metal, so what if it's a little short. He follows up Jaune's blows with punches of his own to put the chupacabras in the right place, and then take then out. He slits a throat, and stabs heart, going for the most sensitive areas of monsters like it's second nature to him. Maybe it is.

It really doesn't take that long. By the end, Yuri is panting, and the creatures are dead, and he holds up his free hand for a high five ]

That was awesome!

[ On his own devices, Jaune was holding back from the more final measures Yuri takes. He didn't have a reason for this, at least not one he thought about, and when he considers the bodies around him - maybe it is something he should have thought about.

And he will, later. Right now, Jaune is blinking at Yuri's hand, aware he should be doing something but briefly unsure of wh-

Oh. Right. ]

We did all right.

[ Jaune says, with awkward, flattered modesty. He brings his hand up to meet Yuri's high five a little hesitantly, but still manages to produce a satisfying slap of palm to palm. It's...nice. ]

You were impressive. How are you feeling?

Great! Man, honestly, it's good to get to fight something that's that simple. See a monster, you gotta kill it.

[ It is a good high five. Nice job, Jaune. Yuri's still grinning broadly. This is his happy place. It could only be improved with a sword in his hand ]

You set 'em up, I took 'em down. Hell yeah.

[ He surveys the damage he caused without any regrets. Yeah, he'll probably clean up the bodies, get them out of the street, but that's just part of the job.

He glances back at Jaune ]

You're new here, right?

How could you tell?

[ His grin widens as he pops a hand behind his head. The town isn't exactly the largest imaginable place; he assumes newcomers stand out. ]

Woke up here this morning. The name's Jaune Arc...the rest, I'm a little hazier on - except I'm pretty sure I usually don't do this with a plank. [ He drops his hand and opens it in front of him, inspecting his abraded palm. ] Not a fan of the splinters.

Yeah, weapons are hard to come by here.

[ He wipes off the knife on his sleeve, and slips it inside his jacket ]

Yuri Lowell. And that's normal, not remembering. Well, it's not normal, but it happens to everyone here, so far. Don't try to remember too hard, it'll give you a headache.

There aren't many of us here. It's kinda nice to see some new faces, after everything.

Yeah, I...heard about your hotel collapsing?

[ That sounded pretty bad, in his opinion. ]

I've been trying not to worry about the not remembering. If you forget something, you can usually remember it, right? [ A feeling he's basing almost entirely on vibes. ] It's nice to meet you, Yuri.

Yeah. Hotel, and everything else. Guess we were lucky it was the last thing standing.

[ He grimaces, looking away. It's dark out. There might be more of those creatures around. He jerks his head toward the saloon, expecting Jaune might follow. He would normally choose the diner, but the party puts him off a bit ]

Yeah, you too. That's one way to think about it. I've remembered... one thing, that I didn't know when I got here. [ So, progress? ]

Other things collapsed?

[ And oh, right. Getting out of the street full of monsters and monster bodies. Jaune follows Yuri obediently, not unhappy to avoid the raucous crowd in the diner. ]

And that's a really good sign. If it happened once, it'll probably happen again.

Yeah. Everything. The whole town was one big crater. Like the ground fell our from under us.

[ He can only say it because he's in the town, and it's solid under his feet, but his stomach drops when he takes another step, like he's dropping off the edge again, down into the crevice and--

His breath hitches, but he manages to keep going, pushing open the door to the saloon ]

Yeah. Maybe. Would be nice to know more about myself.

[ He waves to the bartender, even if she doesn't respond, and she never does ]

[ Jaune doesn't know Yuri well enough to tell if he's doing all right. He doesn't actually know him at all, when it comes down to it. But still - that doesn't sound great either.

Jaune's wave to the bartender is slightly more subdued than his usual greetings to the locals, paired with a crooked smile that still gets no answer. He'll wear her down eventually, he's sure. ]

I'd like to know more about you too. [ He says, now that they're safely inside. ] - and myself, of course, but I already know a few things about myself. I don't know any of the things about you except that you're a good fighter, and you helped me out.

[ He drops onto a barstool, and glances at Jaune when he says he wants to know more about Yuri. That surprises him, that he would say that just outright like that. But, well, a lot of people here are nice. That's just--either nice, or manipulative, and he isn't sure which one, but Jaune fought with him, and that bonds a guy ]

Jeez, what is there to say? Name's Yuri Lowell, I'm good with a sword, I'm from a world that has lots of monsters outside of the cities, and I used to protect a princess. I hope she's okay. [ He looks away with a grimace.

The bartender comes by to get their orders, and Yuri opens his mouth to order something, then wrinkles his nose, shuts it, and then comes out with "juice" a minute later ]

You know any more than that about yourself?

[ Jaune's order is the far most sophisticated and worldly request for..."a glass of milk, please". He props his feet up on the bottom rung of the barstool he took up next to Yuri and looks at him, blue eyes wide and guileless. ]

Well, my name, the sword thing...I think I went to a school where they taught us how to fight like that, back there, so we must have a lot of monsters too. I know the Curious Cat, who showed up here at the same time I did - the name sort of tells you most of what you need to know there - and that I protect a village back where we came from.

What else... [ Jaune taps his fingers on the bar, furrowing his brow. ] I like banana pie and vanilla milkshakes, and the way dust smells. I like most people I've met. I don't like it when they get hurt. I want to help, however I can.

...I'm not sure those last ones were what you meant. [ He flashes a quick, embarrassed grin. ] I hope your princess is all right, too. That's a really important job, looking after a princess.

You know someone else here? Like, know them from home? [ That peaks his interest, and Yuri looks up sharply at him. Be cool, Yuri--only he's not being very cool. He's grasping at scraps. Flynn thinks they might be from the same place, but Yuri isn't sure, doesn't fully know if that could possibly be true.

But if that's happening to Jaune--

He shakes his head ] No, that stuff is great. The diner has great milkshakes. I like the ones with cookies in them.

There are milkshakes with cookies in them?

[ The look of awe on his face at the concept of cookie-studded milkshakes is almost childish, although it passes quickly. More important things, and more immediate, are at hand.

Jaune murmurs a "thank you" to the bartender when she slides him his glass of milk, then returns his attention to Yuri. ]

And yes, I know them from where we came from. I think I've known them...it must have been a long time. They were helping me with something. We haven't quite figured out what it was yet, but I'm glad they're here.

[ Then Jaune's brain catches up to his mouth, and a tiny wince creases the corners of his eyes. ]

...not everyone is that lucky, are they?

Yeah, they do. When the party isn't happening, go try one. Ask for the "Oreo" one.

[ He got his juice, too, and murmurs a "thanks", but doesn't take a drink yet. ]

No, I... think I'm from the same world as another guy here, but mostly 'cause of coincidence, that where we're from is really similar, and really different from everyone else. But you remember knowing this person. This... cat. Man, that must be nice, to have someone you know you can trust.

[ Or at least, that he thinks he can trust. Yuri wonders at how much familiarity with Flynn made Yuri trust him more. ]

It is.

[ The enthusiasm Jaune would typically have for talking about a friend is muted, even with the mental note about the future possibilities of 'Oreos'. The way Yuri talks about this other guy, it doesn't sound like he's sure he can trust him, and that makes Jaune unaccountably wistful on his behalf.

He tips his glass of milk one way, then the other, still contemplating Yuri. ]

It's strange at the same time. Knowing you know someone, but not really how, or why. It's almost like - if I know them, why don't I know how to talk to them? What did we used to do together? How did we even meet? Are we starting all over, or picking up where we left off?

[ Yuri nods, a pang of longing making him fold over his glass. He wishes it were alcohol, but also knows he can't. Shouldn't. He lets out a long sigh. ]

Yeah. It is weird. For all I know we could be best friends, and here I am with no clue who you are except a guy who's good with a plank of wood.

Dunno what good my advice is here, but just--start wherever you are. If you don't know how to talk to them, learn. If you want to know something, ask. They might not be able to answer, but then you'll know that neither of you know.

[ He laughs, his own words making him feel exhausted. He looks up at the bartender ]

Hey, can I get one of those little umbrellas?

[ She gives him a blank stare, then picks an orange cocktail umbrella and hands it to him. He unfolds it and plops it in his drink. It makes it feel a little more special. ]

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2.0 Test Drive Meme

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cw: hurting the monster guys

cw: hurting the monster guys

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